Prologue

Here in the Netherlands, many students from all over the world studies. I've seen many international students who chose to study here. Some are from Nigeria, Turkey, US, UK, China, Korea, Indonesia and etc. But why did they choose to study in the Netherlands? Why did I choose to study in Holland instead of America? Here are some factors I considered before choosing the right university.

1. Price

Of course, the price matters. As an international student, it is really expensive to afford the studies in the United States. The tuition fee there is average around $30k-50k+ per year and this is huge amount as a student! If you are a student and thinking of studying in abroad, Holland is the best choice for you. As non-EU/EEA student, I do have to pay around €8k per year, still cheaper than studying in America.

2. Education

There are few differences between American universities and those in the Netherlands. The difference is that here in the Netherlands, higher education system is totally different from America by having two different level of schools: university of applied sciences and research universities. First, university of applied sciences. These universities are normally 4 years program and lots of schools do offer English programs too. The admission criteria is not that high, and also if you prefer non-intense program, this is definitely your choice. However, the difference between research university and university of applied sciences is that university of applied sciences are more focused on getting job early right after graduation. They offer lots of different opportunity to get an internship between school years, making students easier to enter job market after graduation. The studies are normally focused on practical use of knowledge instead of writing 5000 words essay.

Now, research universities. These universities are normally focused on research and most students actually choose to do masters after the study. They are far from practical use of knowledge however they provide better education than university of applied sciences. The admission criteria are comparably higher than to get into university of applied sciences. First off you need an English score (TOEFL or IELTS) of course, and than you need some extra scores: IB diploma or AP scores. Normally they require these scores because they are 3 years program. Some schools provides one year foundation program in order for students to acquire sufficient grades in certain subjects (economics, math, etc.). After this foundation course and you acquired sufficient grades, you are in.

3. Most Dutch people speaks fluent English

Unlike studying in other European countries such as Germany or France, most Dutch people are fluent in English. As an international student, you might get frustrated with totally different culture and language, however in Holland, you only might get cultural frustration (ex. legal marijuana). Living in country that's not America or UK, this is huge benefit as an international students.

These pretty much sums up my experience on choosing university as an international student, let me know in comment below if you have any question or suggestions!

On next post, I will talk about preparing part of my journey to the Netherlands.

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